1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for mounting systems incorporating a positionable support arm, and more particularly pertains to mounting systems used for supporting a flat panel display in position for viewing or a keyboard in position for operating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art mounting systems with positionable support arms have incorporated ball gimbals, simple knob operated pivot mounts, angular slots, and control arms or spring devices which were adjusted to maintain position of a flat panel display supported thereby while offering pivotable capabilities about a small number of pivot centers. Often the lack of a sufficient amount of pivots limited the positionable capabilities of the support arm and the flat panel display about a sufficient number of pivotal axes. Lack of friction control and dynamic lift capability made adjustment of the flat panel display difficult and required the use of two hands to accomplish an adjustment. Additionally, movement of the support arm and flat panel display payload in a downward accomplished easily, as the weight of the flat panel display acted in conjunction with gravitational forces and readily overcame the frictional qualities of the friction pivot style joint. However, movement in an upward direction was not so easily and readily accomplished, as the upward force required to raise the flat panel display had to overcome the friction of the friction style joint as well as the force of gravity. In addition, two-handed adjustments added to the complexity of adjusting the flat panel display. Clearly what is needed is a positional flat panel display mounting system which is positionable over a multitude of axes, which can be repositioned without secondary controls, which incorporates an adjustable counterbalance or lifting system to provide xe2x80x9cco-equalxe2x80x9d movement force in either the upward or downward direction, which incorporates frictional systems which can be used to establish pre-determined moving forces within OSHA guidelines, and which provides stability for touch screen applications.
The general purpose of the present invention is a multi-jointed and pivoted mounting system for support and positioning of a flat panel display or a keyboard.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a multi-jointed and pivoted mounting system for positioning of a flat panel display including: a pivotal support bracket, a support arm, an arm azimuthal pivot, an arm elevational pivot, an adjustable load counterbalance system, a display roll pivot, a display tilt pivot, a display rotation pivot, and an interface coupling, all acting in concert to support and provide positioning for a flat panel display or any other desired object, such as a keyboard.
A frictional pivot mount forms the basis of each pivot and is an unique tilt resistive or tilt restraining device that relies on the unique properties of a family of polymer materials having static and dynamic coefficients of friction which are substantially identical, such as Delrin or other ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) materials. The result provided by the static and dynamic coefficients of friction of UHMWPE materials, such as utilized in disks or washers of the unique frictional pivot tilt restraining device, is that a flat panel display remains in any tilt position selected by the user. If the user wishes to tiltingly reposition the flat panel display upwardly or downwardly, or any other position, the flat panel display must be manually repositioned to overcome the frictional pivot tilt restraining device. Once the flat panel display is tilted to a different selected position, the unique frictional pivot tilt restraining device resistably restrains the flat panel display in the new position as selected. Sufficient friction to maintain position of the flat panel display during use is provided, and yet easy xe2x80x9cbreakawayxe2x80x9d release to reposition the flat panel display to a new operating position or to the storage position is afforded. The unique characteristics of the polymer material allow smooth tilt adjustment of the frictional pivot tilt mechanism, and yet provide a constant frictional memory for the preset position of the flat panel display. A predetermined poise is required of the operator to reposition the flat panel display, at which time it remains in the new position.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a multi-jointed and pivoted mounting system for a flat panel display.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a multi-jointed and pivoted mounting system for a flat panel display which is positionable at any point within the given range of travel of a support arm.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a plurality of pivots incorporating ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) disks or washers (the subject of a pending patent application).
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a plurality of pivots including an arm azimuthal pivot, an arm elevational pivot, a display roll pivot, a display tilt pivot and a display rotation pivot.
A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an interface connecting the display rotation pivot to the display tilt pivot.
A still further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a load counterbalance mechanism adjuster whose location and angle of adjustment in respect to the arm elevational pivot is derived through the use of a computerized mathematical algorithm for each mounting option offered in the system, to provide a user adjustable counterbalance pivot point for a broad range of display or payload weights.
A still further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a load counterbalance mechanism which provides a dynamically increasing counterbalance moment which corresponds to the increasing moment load on the support arm as the support arm traverses from 0xc2x0 vertical to 90xc2x0 horizontal and which provides a dynamically decreasing counterbalance moment which corresponds to the decreasing moment load on the support arm as the support arm moves downward from 90xc2x0 horizontal to 180xc2x0 vertical to provide a linear counterbalance force throughout the total adjustable range of the support arm.
A still further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a nitrogen gas spring counterbalance mechanism which operates physically within the pivot point of the support arm, allowing 180xc2x0 (xc2x190xc2x0) rotation of the flat panel display or other load.
A still further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an arm elevation frictional pivot, independent of the arm counterbalance system, which provides for establishment of a predetermined, bi-directional frictional moving force which allows single-handed movement of the flat panel display within OSHA guidelines and yet provides a stable viewing or operating platform for touch screen or keyboard applications.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a pivot/ratchet assembly which attaches a keyboard tray to the outer end of a support arm. The pivot/ratchet assembly offers incremental pivotal positioning in an upward direction about arrays of ratchet teeth and includes a release lever assembly which is utilized to bypass the ratcheting feature to allow manual repositioning for downward positioning of the keyboard tray. The pivot/ratchet assembly can also be incorporated to support a flat panel display.
Having thus described significant aspects and features of the present invention, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a multi-jointed and pivotable mounting system for a flat panel video display or a keyboard.